Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128168
By M. SOBER PHOTOS BY GEN MOORE AUBURN,CA,JULY19 • he 12th edition of the North vs. ~ South Civil War of Speedway played to an overflow crowd at the Auburn Gold Country Fairgrounds, and the outcome could not have been better had it been scripted. Returning European Speedway sophomore "Bronco· Billy Janniro took his second main-event win in as many years, leading the Northern team to a very hard-fought 73-61 victory. "Man, I made myself nervous tonight," said the ever-grinning Janniro on his way to the victory platform immediately after the North's win. "After my troubles in heat 10, I figured I'd better make it up in the main event - and I guess maybe In the A main event at the 12th annual Civil War of Speedway, Billy Jannlro leads and Bart Bast follows on the quick Inside line, while Scott Brant tries to run on the outside line and Josh Larsen (partially hidden) trails In fourth. Jannlro and Bast won It for the North. I did." Janniro's 20 points, along with Bart Bast's 18 and Mike Faria's 14, led the Northern Speedway squad to a tie with the South in overall Blue/Grey Cup victories, with six apiece. In the opening ride of round one, Josh Larsen deftly saved himself in the heavy turn-two cushion after a spin that left Bast and Janniro helping themselves to an early 5-1 margin. In heat two, "Fast Eddie" Castro made the best start and led "Flyin'" Mike Faria, Chris Manchester and Chad Felicio to the finish line. In the third heat, the South sustained a serious blow when three-time North/ South Champion Gary Hicks reaggravated a shoulder injury and had to retire for the evening. Bobby Hedden won the heat, and when his brother Tommy finished third, behind Randy DiFrancesco, the North padded their lead back up to 11- 7. In the final heat of round one, the South's Scott Brant made short work of youngsters Bryan Yarrow and Chris Kerr. The round-one margin was 14-10. Starting round two, Bobby Schwartz dominated heat five, leading the entire race. Bobby Hedden got the win in heat six after dicing with Manchester throughout the fourlap spectacular. Faria put the North back ahead in the next race when he outgated DiFrancesco and Southern reserve rider Shawn Harmatiuk. The lead remained at two after Brant pulled off the finest race of the event in heat eight, flying between early leaders Janniro and Bast. Halfway through the program, the North held a 25-23 lead. In the first heat of round three, heat nine, both teams registered three points after Larsen's win. In heat 10, Janniro's carburetor malfunctioned and he was disqualified for crashing himself and Castro; Castro won the restart. In heat 11, DiFrancesco finished ahead of Yarrow and Harmatiuk. Brant finished off the round with his third straight win. Because only two riders finished the heat, no third-place points were awarded. After three rounds, the South clung to a 37 -34 lead. In the opening heat of the final round, Bobby Hedden had the lead, but less than a lap later Larsen had stormed past, only to have Bobby retake the lead in the next lap. However, Larsen was still not finished; he moved to the front again on the final lap. Both Heddens ended up sprawled in the dirt, just 30 feet shy of the checkered flag. Tommy got up and pushed his bike across to gain the final available point. In heat 14, the Eddie Castro, Bast and Chris Manchester batue in heat 10 at the Auburn Gold Country Fairgrounds' Fast Fridays Speedway. Bast was running alone in the restart after Janniro was disqualified for crashing Castro, who won this heat. 50 AUGUST 21,2002' cue' e n e _ s Northern team inserted Janniro as a tactical reserve in place of Kerr, and he responded with his best heat-race performance - a win that, coupled with Castro's and Manchester's second- and third-place finishes, kept the South's advantage at seven points. Janniro finished behind Bast in second, and the North had its second sweep, cutting the lead down to 46-43. In the 16th and final heat of the evening, Faria turned on the afterburners and took the three-point victory ahead of Brant, who had to push past the stubborn Felicio to claim second. With the preliminary rounds complete, the South held a slim 48-47 margin. For the B main, the South drew starting lanes one and three, and inserted Castro and DiFrancesco into them. The North countered with Faria in lane two and Bobby Hedden on the outside. After Castro and Faria went down, Castro was the first rider out at the start and held off Faria to give the South six points. Faria and Bobby took second and third, and DiFrancesco's single point made the South's lead 55-53. If the South took second and third in the A main event and the North The squad from the North - (from left to right) Chris Kerr, Bryan Yarrow, Tommy and Bobby Hedden, Jannlro, Bast, Chad Felicia and Mike Faria celebrates with the trophy girls and more than a little bubbly on the podium In Auburn, California. rolled across in first and fourth, the 12th North vs. South Speedway Classic would be all tied up at 67 points apiece. The missing point from heat 12 that would have prevented a tie was rendered a moot one when Janniro and Bast stormed off the starting line and positioned themselves in the front two spots. With the crowd going wild, the two Northern veterans dominated the entire four-lap man, effectively sending the South's final chances down the drain. CN Fast Fridays Speedway Aubum, Califomia Results: July 19, 2002 A MAIN: 1. Billy Jenniro: 2. Bert Best: 3. Josh Larsen: 4. Scott Brent. S MAIN: 1. Eddie ClI:stro; 2. Mike Feria; 3. Bobby Hedden; 4. Rendy DIFrllncesco. O/A: 1. North (Billy JlInnlro, Bart Bast, Mike Feria, Bobby Hedden, Bryllin Yarrow, Tommy Hedden. Chad Felicia, Chris Kerr): 2. South (Eddie Castro. Scott BrZlnt. Josh LZirsen. RZindy DiFrancesco. Bobby SChWZlrtz, Chris MZlnchester. Shawn Harmatluk, Charlie Venegas. Gary Hicks).